There was something about Mary Asinger that struck David Hans right away. And it wasn’t long before they both realized they had something special.

After only six weeks of dating, the couple discovered they had vacation days coming up at the same time. So, they made a throw-caution-to-the winds decision to spend it together – in Cancun.

Mary’s thoughts on the initial plane ride in 2004 centered around the following thought – I was nuts for doing it.

But there, in a tropical paradise, the pair enjoyed each other’s company in the surf and on the sand all day and at dinner together every evening.

“It was easy,” Mary said, reflecting back to the day. “We didn’t have anything to quarrel about.”

As the days and nights drifted by, it began to dawn on each of them that this was a significant relationship.

“That’s when I realized I fell in love with him,” Mary said.

“I realized after the first trip that Mary was someone I really enjoyed spending time with and could see myself spending a lot of time with, traveling the world,” David said.

“(But), we were both a little skeptical about going on the first trip so early in our relationship, but, we got along so well, it obviously turned out to be well worth the risk.”

“Have love, will travel” became their unofficial motto. In their first year together, after Cancun, they explored the beaches of Hawaii, Dominican Republican and St. Thomas. In December 2006, they found themselves in Aruba.

After dinner one night in Aruba, David asked Mary to go for a walk on the beach. Little did she know he had asked their waiter: to write “Will you marry me?” on the sand. But, when the couple approached the sand-drawn message scribed by the willing, but non-English-speaking accomplice, it read, “Married me.” It took Mary a minute to understand. It all became clear when David fell to one knee and asked Mary to marry him.

The next year was spent planning their Oct. 5, 2007, wedding at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood with a reception at the Missouri Athletic Club in downtown St. Louis. The next day, the couple took off for the Tahitian Islands for a 10-day respite.

“Our honeymoon to Bora Bora and Moorea provided some much needed time to relax and get back to focusing on each other and not all the planning,” David said.

Soon after, their travels took them to Cabo San Lucas, where the couple plans to return to celebrate their anniversary.

As Mary and David look to the future, they see themselves having children one day. Each of them is confident they’ve found “the one” to make their dreams come true.

“He’s kind, generous and caring – and handsome,” Mary said.

“It is hard to narrow down what I like ‘best’ about Mary,” David said. “Her patience and unconditional love come to mind. She is one of the most caring people I have ever met.”